New Zealand woke up to a new week with uncertainty and vitriol vying for equal billing in the media after Saturday's World Cup semi-final defeat to Australia in Sydney.

Former players and selectors were lined up to take pot shots at coach John Mitchell and the team, but it seems some lessons have been learned from the bitter response four years ago when the All Blacks fell at the same hurdle - against France at Twickenham.

The New Zealand Herald, the country's largest daily newspaper, appealed for calm heads in an editorial headed `Sick at heart as dreams disintegrate'.

But the Sunday Star-Times labelled the All Blacks `World Chumps' on the front page and just `Chokers!' on its sports page.

"The All Blacks have completed a nightmare World Cup hat-trick and again have sole rights to rugby's ugliest tag," said the paper, referring to other semi-final defeats in 1991 and 1999.